(Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen contributed to this story written by Oklahoma State University athletic media relations.)
STILLWATER – A very good college baseball game between two nationally-ranked teams battling for first-place in the Big 12 Conference standings came down to this in game one of the three game series. Both teams hit two home runs, but Texas hit theirs with a runner on base and the Cowboys hit theirs with the bases empty. Texas won the quickly played game in windy conditions 5-3. By all rights with the wind blowing out the expectation was more scoring, but both sides got some solid pitching and Texas won notched their 16th win in a row to raise their overall record to 20-7 and stayed unbeaten in Big 12 play at 4-0. Oklahoma State fell to 20-7 overall and 4-3 in Big 12 play.
Tyler Wulfert and Nolan McLean powered the Cowboys' offense, each hitting solo home runs, while Carson Benge added two doubles and a single in four at-bats.
Ben Abram started on the mound, working 5 1/3 innings and striking out four while allowing five runs. He fell to 4-1 on the season, with the loss snapping his streak of winning four consecutive starts.
Drew Blake replaced Abram and shut down the Longhorns, working two shutout innings without allowing a hit.
Isaac Stebens entered in the top of the eighth and worked a crucial 1 2/3 scoreless frames, striking out three, to keep the Cowboys within striking distance.
OSU gave itself a chance in the bottom of the ninth, putting the first two runners on base after a Benge double and a walk to pinch hitter Colin Brueggemann, but the Cowboys couldn't capitalize.
The Cowboys struck first in the game on a fielder's choice RBI single from Marcus Brown in the second inning, but the Longhorns quickly responded with a two-run homer and RBI single in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead.
Texas added two more runs in the fourth on another two-run blast, this one from Jalin Flores that put UT up 5-1, but McLean's eighth round tripper of the season, a solo shot, brought the Cowboys back to within three runs.
https://twitter.com/OSUBaseball/status/1641964098471731200
Wulfert's solo homer, his fourth of the season, tacked on another Cowboy run in the sixth inning to cut the Longhorns' lead to 5-3.
A pair of Cowboys reached base with two outs in the seventh, but a foul out to the catcher stranded both runners.
The two teams return to action Saturday at 6 p.m. before Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.
